Athlete Centered Coaching
"Coaching Along the Self-Determination Continuum"
by: M.D. Mann.
For a coach, the most important question is that of player motivation. Using the theory of self-determination as a foundation for understanding healthy motivation, and the motivational status of our athletes, we are able to pose important questions about where along the continuum of motivation (from least self determined to highly self determined) our players may be at any given time of the season. [1]
The Sport Motivation Scale II (SMS-II) is a questionnaire that is a valid and reliable instrument that has been successfully deployed in the area of team sports to measure the Sport Motivation of Athletes at all levels of competition. The questions on the scale fall within the categories of Amotivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and Intrisic Motivation. A carefully crafted formula scores the SMS-II to determine the overall and specific levels of motivation for each athlete. The literature on the subject of Sport Motivation discusses that the environment that the coach creates can play a significant role in the contextual motivation of the athlete. The coach that creates an environment where there is: 1) a sense of autonomy, 2) a sense of increased competence, and 3) a sense of connectedness is most likely to see improvement in SMS Scores for his or her athletes.
In several research initiatives being documented through the Journal of Coaching Action Research Excellence (JCARE) research studies have cited how athlete centered coaching can help to create a motivational climate (environment) for the athlete that is characterized by autonomy, competence, and connectedness.
Autonomy
The Coach that asks meaningful questions to their athletes and enriches critical thinking and decision making capacities among their athletes will be cultivating player autonomy. Autonomy is visible when players are making their own quality tactical and technical decisions on the court/field of play.
Competence
The athlete centered coach will be able to create drills, with input from their athletes, that are characterized by "lots of touches" and "game like" conditions. Instead of just going through the motions of "drills," athletes are gaining confidence because they are playing in game like conditions and are becoming more familiar with the myriad of options and situations that can occur in games in their sport.
Connectedness
The establishment of team culture comes with having team values and team goals. The sense of connectedness within the team is also a key responsibility of the coach. In helping the team to establish their core values, the coach can best model team connectedness by having core coaching values themselves that they are trying to live out in the presence of their team. Whether that value is effort, fairness, or reliability the team will feed off of the connection they will feel with a coach who is trying to live out their core values. This will also motivate and inspire the athletes under such a coach to connect with each other along that same line.